1 - Dolphins S compares Allen to Super Bowl QB
If you simply described Josh Allen's resumé and playing style without mentioning his name, one could quite easily mistake the rookie quarterback for Pittsburgh signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger.
In fact, the two are almost eerily similar to one another. Both Allen and Roethlisberger went to small schools and were praised for their strong arms in the lead up to their respective drafts. Physically, the two are nearly identical, both standing at a towering 6-foot-5.
The similarities between the two stretch further than height and background. Allen has seemingly modeled his game after the two-time Super Bowl champion - a dangerous passer who is not only open to taking off and running with the ball, but is extremely capable of doing so, as well.
Even players from around the NFL have started to notice the similarities between Allen and Roethlisberger. Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, who will face off against Allen for the first time this Sunday, sees shades of 'Big Ben' in the 22-year-old.
"He's got a strong arm," Jones told the Palm Beach Post. "He's a bit like a young Ben Roethlisberger. He's got that Roethlisberger to him. Big kid. He's a runner, too. So with a guy like this you have to latch onto guys a little bit longer. Cover guys a little bit longer.
"Hopefully the rush will get to him. But he definitely can make those big throws. It's just a matter of can those guys get behind us. And just latch onto guys once he starts scrambling."
2 - McCoy: Frank Gore is a Hall of Famer
LeSean McCoy's long-time friendship with Dolphins running back Frank Gore has been well-documented.
The two train with one another in the NFL offseason. Gore has referred to the 30-year-old McCoy as "the best running back in the [league]" in the past.
The two will have the opportunity to see each other again this week when McCoy's Bills take on the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. McCoy is excited to see his old friend yet again, someone who he views as a role model.
"We're good friends," McCoy said. "We talk all the time. There are times where he's texting me trying to figure out what's up with the defense, players on defense on our team. We're good friends.
"He's a guy that I [aspire] to be like, as far as just the longevity, taking care of my body, playing a long time, stacking up a lot of numbers and wins. He's a guy I kind of shoot for."
Gore has constructed quite the stat-line throughout his 14-year NFL career. The nine-time 1,000-yard rusher has picked up 14,621 yards throughout his career, the fourth-highest total in league history. The veteran trails only Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders in that stat.
McCoy thinks that Gore will one day join that elite group in Canton.
"He's like, top five? He's [fourth], right? [The longevity] is part of it," said McCoy "He's a [Hall of Famer] for sure, right?"
3 - Gase breaks down Bills' young playmakers
After a slow start to the 2018 campaign, Buffalo's receiving corps has found success in recent weeks.
Rookie wideout Robert Foster constructed the team's first 100-receiving yard outing of the season in Week 10, reeling in three passes for 105 yards in the Bills' 41-10 win over the Jets. Second-year wipeout Isaiah McKenzie also made an impact in the rout, totaling 46 offensive yards on four touches.
Foster and McKenzie put their speed on display yet again in Buffalo's Week 12 victory over the Jags, combining for 105 yards on four total receptions. The two playmakers scored their first career touchdowns in the win - Foster was on the receiving end of 75-yard touchdown pass while McKenzie scored off a handoff.
Miami head coach Adam Gase, who will attempt to contain Foster and McKenzie in Week 12, feels as though speed has added a different dynamic to the Bills' offense.
"They've been mainly kind of in that run game, play-action pass, take shots type mode," Gase said. "It's obvious why, because Josh (Allen) can throw the ball a mile. Those guys, their biggest emphasis is to run. Run and go get the ball. That's something those guys can do. And they can create separation. If you're not careful, they'll get behind you."
Speed has certainly helped rookie quarterback Josh Allen, who now has legitimate deep threats to throw the ball to. Gase has been impressed with what he has seen from Allen thus far.
"Besides his size and his arm strength, his athletic ability was probably surprising to me when I first started watching him," Gase said. "Now seeing him play in the NFL, I think last week he had a run on a draw where he stiff-arms a defensive end, makes one of the DBs miss and then runs through one of the linebackers, all in 14 yards. That athletic ability just surprises people because of his size."
